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Budget 2020 impact on Cement Sector

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Tax holiday for affordable housing extended by a yearThe deadline for approval of projects also extended to March 31, 2021.Vandana Ramnani@vandanaramnani1

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Budget 2020 proposed to extend the Rs 1.5 lakh benefit on interest paid on affordable housing loans by a year to March 2021.
"In order to promote affordable housing projects, I propose to extend the date of approval of affordable housing projects for availing tax holiday by one more year," the finance minister said.
Tax holiday for affordable housing developers was also extended by a year.

Affordable housing projects are given a deduction under Section 80IBA of the Income Tax Act. To promote Housing for All by 2022, the sunset date for taking approval was extended till March 31, 2020, in the Interim Budget 2019.
"Affordable housing and co-living are two sides of the same coin. The Budget further strengthened the commitment of government to these ventures," said Arnab Ghosh, National Director, Design & Build and Fitouts, at Colliers International India.

Live MintBudget 2020: Sitharaman allocates ?1.7 trillion for transport infrastructure

Shreya Nandi

Proposes setting up of 9,000 km economic corridor

A total of 12 lots of highway bundles will be monetised by 2024New Delhi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed to allocate ?1.7 trillion to improve connectivity via road, rail, air and waterways.

"A total of 12 lots of highway bundles will be monetised by 2024," Sitharaman said in her budget speech.

The minister also proposed to set up 9,000 km economic corridor and 2,000 km coastal corridor and strategic highways. Delhi-Mumbai expressway that is currently in the works will be completed by 2023. The expressway is expected to drastically cut down travel time between the two cities.

To enhance air connectivity, Sitharaman proposed to build 100 more airports by 2024.

The government’s focus on infrastructure indicates its commitment to revive investment cycle and create jobs to spur growth at a time when the economy is in the middle of a deep downturn.

According to the latest estimates, the Indian economy will grow at 5% in the current fiscal ending March. The growth projected is lower than the 6.1% recorded in 2018-19. In the quarter ended September 2019, economic growth had hit a six-year-low of 4.5%.

In December, the government launched ?102 trillion worth infrastructure projects, under national infrastructure pipeline (NIP), to develop social and economic infrastructure in the next five years.

"There are 6,500 projects across various sectors, including housing, water, clean energy, healthcare for all, education, airports, irrigation projects," Sitharaman said, adding that NIP envisions improving ease of living, kick-start construction work, and create jobs.

To improve connectivity via railways, Sitharaman said there will be more Tejas-like trains for tourist destinations. Besides, there will be immense focus on four station redevelopment programme that is expected to have private sector participation.

The government will also provide 20% equity for Bengaluru suburban transportation project, which is worth ?18,600 crore. At least one major port would be listed on the stock exchanges, the finance minister said.

Budget 2020: Govt will advise utilities to close down thermal power plants violating clean air norms

ET Energyworld.com

Aarushi Koundal & Anshul Joshi

As part of its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, the energy intensity of India’s growth is targeted to decline by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 compared with 2005

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam has said the government will advise utilities to close down thermal power plants in violation of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) norms in her Budget speech on Saturday.

"Utilities running thermal power plants that are old and where the carbon emissions are higher will be advised to close down and that land will be used for alternative energy purposes," FM Sitharaman said while detailing plans for environment and climate change in the Budget.

Speaking about government’s efforts in furthering the clean air norms, Sitharaman added that the International Solar Alliance will help in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, disaster resilience, and the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

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Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication 

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement 

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing. 

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities. 

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations. 

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events. 

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders. 

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem. 

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution. 

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Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, 
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

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Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

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UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.

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